


Opening Fright

by saintsaint



Series: Danny Phantom: Now [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: First Day of School, Gen, Major Character Undeath, Power Acquisition, Reboot, Screenplay/Script Format, The Accident, Two Cake Theory of Posting the Same Fic Everyone Else Has Also Written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24707353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintsaint/pseuds/saintsaint
Summary: Danny Fenton just wants to survive his first day of high school. But when his parents’ Ghost Portal doesn’t quite work, Danny takes a look inside…The pilot episode of a hypothetical reboot! Featuring Fenton Toasters, foreshadowing future plots, and frankly fearsome amounts of junk food.TL;DR: anxious dork gets superpowers while his ride-or-die friends scramble to help. Expect shenanigans.
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson
Series: Danny Phantom: Now [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786285
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	Opening Fright

**Author's Note:**

> See end notes for content warnings.
> 
> The week after I read the Steven Universe art book I said to myself “haha wouldn’t it be fun to organize DP’s plots according to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development :)?” And then suddenly I had written a half dozen spreadsheets about ghost science, emotional arcs, and character development. I was having fun just organizing ideas and wasn’t expecting to actually write anything, but the teaser for this popped into my head and the rest of it followed so easily, thus: reboot pilot!
> 
> I don’t know that it’s better than Mystery Meat, but it’s almost definitely better than Livin Large. Also, hey! Two cakes!! ;)

**TEASER**

_ The BONG of an ancient clocktower echoes as the scene FADES IN. _

**EXT./INT. GHOST ZONE & CLOCKWORK’S LAIR**

_ In the same way that space could be called blue, the Ghost Zone is green and violet. It is a slow swirl of oil and water; stars die and are reborn in the furthest distance. Clockwork’s Lair is a tower in the shape of a grandfather clock, falling apart in slow motion and simultaneously repairing itself. Inside, gears and clocks of all sizes clank, tick, and whir; another loud BONG reverberates throughout. _

_ CLOCKWORK, elderly and cloaked in a tattered grey cloak, narrows glowing violet eyes at one particular screen. _

CLOCKWORK   
It’s finally time. Today, everything changes.

_ Another BONG rings out. CUT TO: _

**EXT./INT. FENTONWORKS & THE LAB - EARLY MORNING**

_ In a row of identical, three-story greystone buildings, FentonWorks is totally normal — except for the enormous silver mechanical contraption and blinking neon signs on the roof, proclaiming the name for all to know. At the front stoop, a huge neon arrow in orange and teal flashes on and off, directing business visitors to the lower levels. Below ground level, FentonWorks’ Lab - normally neatly kept - shows evidence of recent long nights and uncharacteristically loose lab habits. _

_ The fourth BONG. At the far end of the building stands the Portal, an octagonal metal doorway that takes up an entire wall, open like a yawning maw. _

_ The Fenton parents hover around it, both protective and anticipatory. MADDIE is physically limber but socially stiff, her teal jumpsuit zipped all the way up to her chin. Her utility belt holds every engineering tool she could possibly need, from wrenches to hacksaws to the butane torch she now shuts off. She pulls up her welding mask to reveal a tired but resolute face, her short, auburn hair stuck to it with sweat. Her husband JACK, solidly built and a bit beyond “dad bod,” has shrugged out of the top half of his orange jumpsuit to reveal a FentonWorks t-shirt. His white lab coat is stained with oil and ectoplasm. He is vivacious and easily delighted, but right now he is sharply focused on a printout emerging from a cabinet-sized computer. His brow creases as he reads it, then he looks to Maddie, at once thrilled and humbled. _

JACK   
Maddie… We’ve done it. Today...

MADDIE   
Today, everything changes. Oh, Jack.

_ The fifth BONG. They embrace as an alarm clock begins to blare off-screen. CUT TO: _

**INT. JAZZ’S BEDROOM**

_ On the third floor, Jazz flips her alarm clock off. Her room is neat and put-together, though some childish remnants such as stuffed toys and school posters show through. Jazz is immediately alert and calm, brushing through and braiding her long red hair as she gets up. The sixth BONG. Pinned to a corkboard above her desk is a thick packet on “Succeeding on the First Day of Your First Internship,” stuck full with post-its and color-coded notes. She has multiple packets set aside for “Day Two,” “Day Three,” etc. Jazz is determined: this is the next step for her to get out of this town. _

JAZZ   
Today’s the day. Everything changes.

_ Jazz exits with the seventh BONG. _

**INT. DANNY’S BEDROOM**

_ Across the hall is a closed door covered in posters and a single, hand-written “STAY OUT” sign. Behind it is the typically messy room of a teenage boy: clothes everywhere, a model rocket abandoned mid-assembly, Humpty Dumpty posters. _

_ DANNY fidgets before the full-length mirror, trying to psych himself up. He is 14, petit, and already fully dressed, nearly swimming in his too-large hoodie - he’s been awake for a while. _

DANNY   
Today _ … nothing _ has to change.

_ He flattens his black hair, decides he doesn’t like it, and pushes it back, revealing shockingly ice-blue eyes. He’s anxious, yes, but underneath that he’s hopeful. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
So what if it’s your first day of high school? It’s everyone else’s too! So your grades actually matter this year if you want to get into a good college and eventually the  _ highly selective _ space program to be an astronaut... You’re a pretty good student, it’s fine! So you have to make a good enough impression that when people hear the name “Danny Fenton,” they think of  _ you  _ instead of your genius sister or  _ (voice cracks)  _ crazy, ghost-hunting parents...

_ Danny stares, pale and wide-eyed at his reflection; he’s screwed and he knows it. Still, he puts on an unconvincing smile and clearly false bravado. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Nothing is going to go wrong. You’re gonna ace this. Everything is going to be  _ totally _ fine!

_ It definitely isn’t. Begin the  _ **THEME SONG** _. _

**ACT ONE**

**INT. KITCHEN/BREAKFAST NOOK - MORNING**

_ A fresh pot of coffee is on the burner. As he places a plate on the counter, Danny glances around surreptitiously; the kitchen is empty. Pleased, he sneakily pours some of the coffee into a mug (NASA official, of course)and drops some waffles in the Fenton-branded silver toaster. He puts way too much sugar in his coffee, the stirring loud in the silent kitchen. _

JACK   
( _ out of freaking nowhere)  _ Danny!

_ Danny chokes on a scream and some coffee as Jack, easily four times his size, claps a huge hand down on his shoulder. _

DANNY   
Gah! Dad!?

MADDIE (off screen)   
Jack, don’t scare him. It’s a big day for him too.

_ She leans against the door to the stairs, looking tired but proud. _

MADDIE (cont’d)   
Sorry, sweetheart, we’re just excited. We finished up some last-minute calculations earlier this morning and, well…

JACK   
We finally finished our biggest project! The Fenton Portal is done — come see it?

DANNY   
Oh, well, I told Sam and Tuck we’d walk to school together —

JACK   
Then we better hurry up!

_ To Danny’s alarm, Jack bodily hauls him over his shoulder and down the stairs. Maddie smiles at her boys and follows. CUT TO: _

**INT. THE LAB**

DANNY   
_ (uncertain, a little worried)  _ So it’s supposed to be a door to where the ghosts live?

MADDIE  
 _(fondly)_ Ghosts don’t “live” anywhere, honey. But it _is_ _going_ to be a window into an ectoplasmic dimension parallel to our own.

JACK   
And it’s a way for your mother and I to collect the ectoplasm we need for our experiments right from the source!

DANNY   
_ (failing to act casual)  _ But besides that, nothing is going to come through, right?

MADDIE   
Of course not, sweetie. We’re perfectly safe on this side of the line.

_ She gestures to the line of caution tape at the mouth of the Portal. _

MADDIE (cont’d)   
But, just in case… safety first.

_ She holds up a Danny-sized jumpsuit in plain white with black accents. _

DANNY   
Aw, the jumpsuit?

JACK   
If you wanna see us turn the Portal on and entirely revolutionize an entire branch of science in our very own basement, then, yes, the jumpsuit.

MADDIE   
And if you don’t want to spend the next ten days stuck in the Fenton Ecto-Decontamination Chamber.

_ She gestures to a tiny glass room in the corner, containing a cot and nothing else. Sharp cut to Danny zipping his suit all the way to the top. _

_ They stand a few feet from the caution tape line, Jack and Maddie each holding one end of an extension cord. Danny, tiny, peeks out from behind them. _

MADDIE   
Ready?

JACK   
Ready!

_ They plug the two cords together with a heavy CLUNK. All three look eagerly/cautiously to the Portal, holding their breath… it sparks minutely. Otherwise, nothing. _

DANNY   
Um, was it supposed to do that?

_ Jack and Maddie trade concerned looks and begin to dig through their notes and readings as a voice comes from above. _

JAZZ (off screen)   
Mom? Dad? Do you have Danny down there with you?

DANNY   
_ (hesitant)  _ Um, well, I better go see what Jazz wants.

_ Neither parent notices; he climbs the stairs as they murmur theories to each other. _

**INT. THE KITCHEN - MORNING**

_ Danny makes it back up just in time to catch the waffles he put in the Fenton-branded toaster as they go I-Love-Lucy sproinging across the room. Danny grins in triumph at his timing, though Jazz is too busy making her lunch to notice. _

JAZZ   
Were they going on about ghosts again? I  _ told  _ them that’s not good for your mental and social development.

_ Danny maneuvers around her to get syrup and utensils. _

DANNY   
They say they’re “ectoplasmic entities,” not ghosts.

JAZZ   
It doesn’t matter what they call them, it’s not healthy! You’re at a delicate time in your development —

DANNY   
_ (offended)  _ And you’re not?

JAZZ   
_ I  _ am sixteen, practically an adult, and I’m highly developed psychologically. That’s why the school is letting me shadow Ms. Cetera -

_ Danny rolls his eyes — he’s heard this a hundred times this month. _

DANNY   
Yeah, yeah, you’re so smart and perfect they ran out of classes for your big nerd brain and had to let you pretend to be the school therapist.

JAZZ   
_ (sniffily) Intern with  _ the school therapist. You know, Danny, it’s never too early to think of your future. And speaking of, I have to be at Casper High early today. I’ll drive you home, though?

DANNY   
Fine.

_ Danny moodily drowns his waffles in syrup. Jazz hesitates behind him, but ultimately leaves for school. Danny eats a bite and says into the silence: _

DANNY   
It’s fine. Everything is going to be fine.

**EXT. STREETS OF AMITY PARK, CROSSROADS OF 13th ST AND FORTUNE WAY - MORNING**

_ SAM pulls up to the crossroads of 13th Street and Fortune Way, hopping off her bike and checking her watch. She is pale, tall for 14, and all the more striking for the dark clothes she wears. Her hair is dyed violet and chopped; her purple (yes, purple!) lipstick is on show as she purses her lips. They’re late. _

_ TUCKER arrives on a rented Amity Scooter, putting down a brown boot as he skids to a halt. His outfit is practical, which here means “unfashionable but with loads of pockets for all his tech.” The only thing that sets him apart from any other technogeek is the red pageboy cap he adjusts as he narrows his eyes at Sam. _

TUCKER   
( _ suspiciously _ ) Sam.

_ Sam glares right back at him, her hand dropping to her hip. _

SAM   
( _ unimpressed _ ) Tucker.

DANNY (off-screen)   
Seriously, guys? Still?

Sam and Tucker turn as Danny arrives on foot. He’s amused, exasperated, and a little distracted.

SAM and TUCKER   
( _ together, pleased _ )   
Danny!

_ They break off in surprise to shoot each other suspicious looks, but Danny walks right between their glaring contest; they jog to catch up with him as he continues towards school. _

DANNY   
Can’t you guys give it a rest?

SAM   
Oh, I have no problem letting it go. I’m no  _ villain _ , after all.

TUCKER   
I never  _ said  _ it’d make you a villain, I just think that if you got hypothetical superpowers your first move shouldn’t be  _ beating up a non-superpowered civilian _ !

SAM   
A non-superpowered civilian who was, hypothetically,  _ cruel to innocent animals _ ! Danny agrees with me: hypothetical people who terrorize and harass innocents should be punished.

DANNY   
This hypothetical argument is getting a little too real for my tastes. And actually, Sam, I said —

TUCKER   
_ Actually _ , Danny agreed with  _ me,  _ his  _ best friend _ . We both think,  _ hypothetically _ , that  _ figuring out _ how to use your powers first —

SAM   
_ You _ wanted to  _ charge people  _ for  _ saving them _ -

TUCKER   
I said a  _ tipping system — _

SAM   
And  _ your  _ best friend? Just cause you've known him longer —

TUCKER   
— would be,  _ hypothetically _ , financially prudent - !

_ Danny takes a fortifying breath as they walk into CASPER HIGH, his friends continuing their argument over his head. _

**INT. HOMEROOM**

_ J. H. Casper High School is an old building, dating back over one hundred years. It’s been updated and expanded as well as can be expected, and for the first day of school has been eagerly decorated with red, soft blue, and its raven mascot. _

_ Homeroom is much the same. Standing at the front is MR. LANCER, 40s, whose body is absolutely starting to show his age. He’s ordinarily strict and no-nonsense, but he really does love Casper High and today that excitement shows through. He marks off names as students enter the classroom. Our trio waits their turn; Danny is last. _

LANCER   
And… Mr. Fenton. (pause) You know, your sister is well-known in this school for her drive and intelligence. She’s the youngest Casper High student to ever have an internship with our school psychologist.

DANNY   
Er, yeah. I mean, yes, I - I know.

LANCER   
Well. We look forward to seeing what you’ll bring to the table, Mr. Fenton - I trust you’ll impress us in your own way.

_ Lancer gives him a small, genuine smile. Danny ducks his head, embarrassed, but is secretly a little pleased.  _

DANNY   
Y-yessir.

_ CUT TO: _

**INT. OMEN HALLWAY**

_ Locker #724 is on the very edge of the hallway; just around the corner is the door to a bathroom with an old sign that maybe once said “WOMEN,” but is now so scratched up it seems to say “OMEN.” Danny stands at the locker, twirling the lock while checking the code on a slip of paper - it opens easily, to his relief, and he sets one of his books on its shelf. He doesn’t notice as DASH BAXTER, fellow freshman and already-beloved football star, jogs backwards to catch a football thrown his way. They collide, and Danny is shoved inside - he’s so small that he fits with room to spare. The football goes wide and Dash is immediately incensed. _

DASH   
Are you seriously  _ already _ getting in my way, Fenton -

_ He takes a deep, forcibly calming breath; Danny stares, wide-eyed and helpless, from inside his locker. Reluctantly, Dash pulls him out, only a little roughly. _

DASH (cont’d)   
Okay. Listen, nerd: I’m really not interested in fulfilling the bullying jock stereotype this year. If you can just stay outta my way, we can both go about our lives without this whole song and dance. Got it, Fen -  _ (sigh, like it pains him) -  _ Danny?

DANNY   
Oh, y-yeah! Sorry, Dash. Or, um, thanks?

DASH   
_ (already turning away)  _ Literally do not mention it.

_ Dash leaves as Sam and Tucker arrive. _

SAM   
Jeeze. What’s  _ his _ deal?

TUCKER   
That’s Dash Baxter. He’s kinda had it out for Danny since — ohhh man, is your locker next to the  _ haunted bathroom _ ?

DANNY   
The what.

TUCKER   
The haunted bathroom!  _ Literally everyone  _ says that this one kid got so many swirlies in there that his  _ ghost — _

SAM   
Please tell me you don’t actually believe that —

DANNY   
More importantly,  _ please _ don’t mention that to my parents.

_ The bell rings. Danny checks his schedule. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Look, let’s just get to our next class. We’ve got…  _ (pause, grin)  _ science!

_ CUT TO: _

**INT. BIOLOGY CLASSROOM**

_ Rather than desks, this classroom has lab tables, each with a microscope or two. The trio sit together while MR. FALLUCA heads the class. Danny, excited and fidgety, fiddles with the closest microscope. _

FALLUCA   
— not an easy class. Now, you may have to share microscopes since not all of them work. 

_ Danny, having already inspected his, ducks behind the table, pulling a small repair kit out of Tucker’s backpack. He immediately starts to take it apart, drawing the teacher’s attention. _

FALLUCA (cont’d)   
_ (alarmed)  _ Excuse me! I did not say you could touch those, young man —

DANNY   
The fuse for its light is blown.

FALLUCA   
...Excuse me?

DANNY   
_ (suddenly realizing he’s the center of attention) _ Um, sorry, just — my parents always say to check the fuse hasn’t blown with these things. So this one, um, just needs a new fuse for the light and it should work fine again?

_ Falluca approaches and checks the microscope over. Danny shrinks, internally castigating himself. _

FALLUCA   
What was your name?

DANNY   
_ (with a nervous smile)  _ Um, Danny Fenton. Sir.

FALLUCA   
_ (distastefully)  _ Ah. Your parents are the infamous Jack and Maddie Fenton, I assume?

_ Danny’s smile falls off his face. _

FALLUCA   
Well… you  _ have _ found a fix for this microscope, so. Perhaps it will be good to have you in this class, Mr. Fenton.

_ Startled at the approval, Danny blushes with pride. Today is going better than he could have hoped; his smile returns. FADE TO: _

**EXT. JAZZ’S CAR/FENTONWORKS - AFTERNOON**

_ Danny closes the door to Jazz’s car, the same pleased and proud smile on his face. Jazz has spent the whole car ride talking about how her internship went, but even that hasn’t dampened Danny’s mood. _

JAZZ   
—  _ and  _ Ms. Cetera recommended some studies to read about managing high school with an internship, but she said she’s really confident that I’ll do  _ phenomenally _ . Can you believe that?

_ Danny hums a distracted non-response, and Jazz finally clues in. _

JAZZ (cont’d)   
But enough about me, it was  _ your  _ first day of high school. How do you think it went?

DANNY   
Oh, um — fine. Actually, maybe even more than fine.

_ Jazz pats his shoulder supportively as she unlocks the front door. _

**INT. FENTONWORKS FOYER**

_ Inside, Maddie checks off camping supplies on a clipboard as Jack piles more and more equipment on the floor. Maddie looks even more tired than she did this morning and Jack has maybe been crying? Jazz and Danny stare. _

DANNY   
Uh, Mom? Dad?

JACK   
_ (relatively subdued) _ Oh, kids! How was school? Your mother and I are only the normal amount of upset about the Fenton Portal, and we’re definitely not leaving to go cry about it in the woods.

MADDIE   
We’ve spent so long working on it, so many sleepless nights… Your father and I just need a little break.

JACK   
Just a night or two in the wilderness, camping and not crying at all. We’ll be back before you miss us!

MADDIE   
Here’s some pizza money. Jazz, you’re in charge — obviously. Keep away from the lab and don’t forget to brush your teeth, you two. We love you; we’ll see you soon.

_ She smooches both of them on the cheek as she presses money to Jazz’s hand and exits, Jack hobbling behind her with an outrageous amount of camping equipment. He pauses at the door, managing a stern look for his kids. _

JACK   
Oh, and this should go without saying, but  _ no parties _ .

_ He sniffles and leaves. Danny and Jazz stand there for a moment in mixed disbelief and total unsurprise at their parents, before Danny speaks up with no small slyness. _

DANNY   
So… two people is hardly a party —

JAZZ   
Do what you want, as long as you’re quiet. I have studies to read anyway.

_ Danny grins and immediately starts texting Sam and Tucker. FADE TO: _

**INT. REC ROOM - NIGHT**

_ The place is a mess, unsurprisingly: overnight bags unceremoniously dumped, junk food everywhere, couch cushions abandoned mid-pillow fight, video game paused just before its player gets slayed. The trio are all in their pajamas, now playing a board game that is probably positioned to cleverly foreshadow the coming events. This is, after all, the last time they’ll get to be carefree kids for quite a while. _

SAM   
_ (slapping a card down)  _ Wait, so they split just because their crazy science experiment didn’t work?

DANNY   
_ (obediently shuffling the deck)  _ It’s not like that. They’ve been working on making a stable Ghost Portal since, like, before we were even born. I think they’re kind of… burned out about it.

TUCKER   
_ (while spraying whipped cream directly into his own mouth)  _ Well, maybe they just need an outside perspective.

SAM   
_ (sardonic)  _ What, like from a fourteen-year-old geek who thinks modding DOOMED makes him a brilliant coder?

TUCKER   
I  _ meant  _ like other weird scientists, but I’ll have you know that everyone on the forums agree the code in that game is totally whack, so being able to do anything at all with it is actually really impressive —

SAM   
Wait actually, shut up. Danny, could we see it?

TUCKER AND DANNY   
Huh?

SAM   
_ (rolling her eyes)  _ The ghost portal. Didn’t you say their lab is in the basement?

_ A beat while Tucker and Sam meet eyes, then focus with laser-like expectation on Danny. His shoulders hitch up around his ears. _

DANNY   
Well, yeah, but some of the stuff they work with is dangerous, and we’re not really supposed to be down there without supervision, and if we touch anything we might need to get decontaminated which takes forever, and, um, and --

_ CUT TO: _

**INT. THE LAB**

DANNY (cont’d)   
\- and I should have realized I never stood a chance, did I?

_ The lab has been cleaned up some since this morning; the fluorescent lights highlight all of the strange equipment and intimidating-looking silver technology that hangs about the place. The Portal dwarfs the trio, a dark tunnel whose end seems very far away. _

_ Sam and Tucker sweep past Danny to gawk at all the lab equipment. Tucker sinks to his knees before a particularly sleek contraption. _

TUCKER   
Ooo, baby, I don’t know what you do but I can tell your processing power is unbelievable. Danny, you never told us your parents had actually  _ cool  _ stuff down here.

SAM   
Tucker, do you seriously think a hunk of metal and wire is cooler than a literal gate to the underworld?

DANNY   
It’s supposed to be a window, not a gate. And right now it’s not anything except creepy. Can we go now?

TUCKER   
Aw Danny, you’re not  _ scared _ , are you? Technology doesn’t want to hurt you, man.

SAM   
And ghosts aren’t real anyway. Besides, if your parents had read any of the occult mythology about the afterlife, they’d know the way into the underworld isn’t through science - it’s through  _ human sacrifice. _

_ She wiggles her fingers in mock spookiness. Tucker snickers; Danny smiles despite himself. Feeling emboldened, he approaches the Portal, admittedly curious. _

DANNY   
Well… it’s not space, but it’s supposed to see into a whole other dimension. Who knows what kind of awesome, super-cool things could exist on the other side of that portal?

_ He stands just behind the caution line, gazing in with no small amount of curiosity and longing. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Wait… what’s that?

_ He leans in, squinting at a panel at shoulder height along its inner wall. Sam and Tucker peek around him as his face creases in disbelief. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
No way…

SAM AND TUCKER   
_ (simultaneously) _ What?

_ Danny’s eyes widen; he hurries to a nearby storage closet, rifling around. _

DANNY   
They always say to check these things, and then they seriously forget on their biggest invention?

_ He pulls something out of a drawer, grinning over his shoulder at his quizzical friends. Something occurs to him, and he dives back into the closet, pulling out his white and black jumpsuit. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Oh, safety first, of course.

_ He begins fumbling it on over his pajamas. _

SAM   
Uh-huh. So, Danny? We have no idea what you’re talking about.

DANNY   
_ (eagerly)  _ This!

_ In his hand he holds an enormous fuse. It glints in the fluorescent light as Danny gets zipped up, Sam and Tucker automatically moving out of his way as he steps over the caution tape line, into the Portal, to the waiting panel. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
They must not have realized - got too excited about the Portal being finished to check their fuses. Pfft - amateur mistake.

_ He strains to pop the blown fuse out from its place, then tosses it to Sam, who catches it at the mouth of the tunnel. It’s only a few feet, but it seems very far away as Tucker and Sam exchange uncertain glances. _

TUCKER   
Er, are you sure this is a good idea, dude?

DANNY   
_ (distracted)  _ Yeah, it’s simple — the whole reason their big project didn’t work, and -

_ With a grunt, Danny shoulders the fresh fuse in place. He steps back with a satisfied grin. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
\- even I can fix it!

_ The throat of the Portal lights up with a spark and a whine - Danny has just enough time to lose the smile on his face before a writhing spiral of white-green energy catapults towards him and swallows him up. His nerves light up and he screams at the sudden agony, held frozen in the air by lashing, furious ectoplasm. _

_ In the surrounding swirl of the Portal, Danny starts to change: his jumpsuit inverts along the energy’s spiral until the whole thing is pitch black with silvery-white accents. From the roots out, his black hair bleaches to the white of fresh snow. _

_ He curls into himself in pain, still screaming; the (magical girl) transformation seems to last a long time, but finally his body relaxes even as he floats there, surrounded by alien energy. _

_ At last, he opens his eyes - revealing a glowing, unearthly green. _

**ACT TWO**

**INT. THE LAB**

_ Sam and Tucker gape, horrified, as Danny screams, seeming to float in the heart of the Portal’s spiralling ectoplasmic energy — and then the lights go out. _

**EXT. FENTONWORKS, AMITY PARK, GREATER AMITY AREA - NIGHT**

_ In fact, the lights go out everywhere — the whole street, the town, all of Amity goes dark. _

_ The silence rings. _

**INT. THE LAB**

_ Danny has stopped screaming; he is nowhere to be seen, having been inside the Portal’s tunnel when it was turned on. It is calmer now, the flat surface of its mouth giving off an eerie, moving green that bathes the lab in high-contrast light. _

_ Sam and Tucker stare numbly at the Portal for a moment. _

TUCKER   
_ (hoarsely) _ The plug.

SAM   
_ (dazed) _ What?

TUCKER   
The plug — where’s the power source? We have to unplug it.

_ Tucker is already looking. Sam, shaking, puts her hands to her cheeks and then slaps them. She joins him for a frantic moment. _

_ Then something emerges from the Portal. _

_ Tucker and Sam scream in fright as something pale reaches through, scrabbling at the floor. They back away as another arm bursts through the swirling green, pulling behind it a bowed, white-haired head. The figure looks up with piercing, neon green eyes. _

SAM   
_ (breathlessly)  _ Danny.

TUCKER   
What?

SAM   
That’s Danny!

_ She dashes forward to grab an arm, pulling the figure further into the Real World — his head lolls on her shoulder, apparently unconscious. Despite the color shift and bizarre glow it does indeed look like Danny. Tucker rushes to help; together they pull him completely out of the Portal. _

SAM   
Tucker, what do we do?

TUCKER   
He’s not breathing. Sam, he’s not —

_ A light sparks at Danny’s chest, growing into brilliant rings that burn across Danny’s body. They don’t affect Sam and Tucker, but where they pass they leave Danny in his previous state: white jumpsuit, black accents and hair, totally human. They finish in seconds, and Danny takes a huge, gasping breath, opening watering blue eyes. _

_ Everyone is stunned to silence for a moment. Then Danny groans and curls in on himself in pain. _

DANNY   
What hit me?

SAM AND TUCKER   
Danny!

SAM   
Are you okay? You looked - you were —

TUCKER   
_ (shakily)  _ You weren’t breathing.

_ A beat as they all consider this. Danny takes an experimental few breaths. _

DANNY   
Well, I’m breathing now. Is the Portal — ?

_ All three turn to the Portal. It moves strangely, unaffected by the three children who kneel before it. _

DANNY   
...wow.

TUCKER   
I think we should call someone.

DANNY   
What? No.

SAM   
What?  _ Yes _ . Danny, you just got, like, electrocuted or something, and you looked — yeah, we need to get Jazz.

DANNY   
_ (indignant)  _ No way, she’ll just freak out and tell our parents, and they’ll make me go through decontamination and I’ll miss school. I’m - I’m actually fine.

TUCKER   
Dude, the whole neighborhood probably heard you scream. And you  _ weren’t breathing _ . We need an adult.

DANNY   
Jazz isn’t an adult, she just thinks she is. Besides, I think I really —

_ Using Sam and Tucker for support, he gingerly gets to his feet. He twists experimentally, touches his face, and drops a hand to rest over his heart. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
_ (a little disbelieving) _ I’m… fine. I actually feel totally fine.

_ Sam and Tucker stare at him. Danny rubs at his heart, confused but steady under their gazes. Finally Tucker takes his wrist to feel his pulse. _

TUCKER   
Well your heart’s beating pretty fast, but at least it’s beating.

_ Tucker looks expectantly to Sam as Danny frowns, a little offended. _

DANNY   
You thought I wouldn’t have a heartbeat?

_ Sam reaches for his other hand, feeling that same pulse. She squeezes. _

SAM   
You’re sure you’re okay?

DANNY   
Y-yeah. And mainly I want to, heh, get away from that thing.

_ They look at the Portal again, variously frightened and worried. Finally Sam nods. _

SAM   
If you really feel okay, then let's get out of here.

_ The trio flee the Lab. The Portal goes on spinning, uncaring. FADE TO: _

**INT. REC ROOM - EARLY MORNING**

_ The three are all smooshed onto one couch, asleep in a pile. Sam is curled up like a cat, leaning most of her weight on Danny. Tucker has spread out in his sleep, but he holds one of Danny’s legs like a stuffed animal. Danny himself is on his back, the most normal of the lot. As the sun rises, Danny lets out a significant snort in his sleep — and starts to sink into and  _ through _ the couch. _

_ Tucker’s eyes pop open, while Sam muggily squints as her sleep is disturbed. Danny, still asleep, sinks through the couch entirely — and then through the floor into the kitchen of the level below, then into Jack and Maddie’s offices the next floor down, and finally into the Lab. He hits the ground with an “oof” and opens his eyes to see the working Portal just feet from him. _

_ He gapes for a second, bringing a hand to hover over his heart. _

DANNY   
How did I...

SAM AND TUCKER (off-screen, upstairs)   
Danny!

_ Danny startles and jumps to his feet. He sends a backwards glance to the Portal as he runs up the stairs. _

DANNY   
Coming!

_ CUT TO: _

**INT. KITCHEN - MORNING**

_ The trio are dressed for school and move around each other seamlessly, familiar with each others' patterns. Danny pours himself some coffee, absently rubbing over his heart. Sam is still mostly asleep; she sits in the breakfast nook sipping her tea. Tucker is dutifully making each of them a personalized lunch. _

TUCKER   
Yeah, I really don’t think you  _ sleepwalked _ down there. And even if you did, that’s so — so —

SAM   
_ (around her tea)  _ Creepy.

TUCKER   
Yeah, exactly! It’s spooky!  _ Ghostly _ , even. If you won’t call your parents at least tell your sister.

DANNY   
No, she’ll just turn it into a big deal, and I really do feel fine guys. Maybe a little cold, but fine.

_ The Fenton-brand toaster dings, and Danny automatically reaches to snag the waffles out of the air — and they go  _ right through _ his hands. They hit the floor with an unappealing PAP. _

_ The trio stare for a beat. _

SAM   
...Uh —

_ Jazz bursts onto the scene, looking frazzled. _

JAZZ   
Move! The power outage reset my alarm and I’m  _ late _ !

_ The trio startles out of her way as she thunders through the room, grabbing things haphazardly. She steals the fruit out of Sam’s hands, takes Tucker’s lunch as he’s working on it, and snatches Danny’s mug of coffee just as he’s trying to take a sip. _

DANNY   
Hey - !

JAZZ   
_ (accusingly)  _ I wouldn’t need this if  _ someone  _ hadn’t kept me up last night screaming with his friends!

_ Danny casts a warning look at said friends, which Tucker ignores with prejudice. _

TUCKER   
Yeah, about that, actually —

JAZZ   
Later! I have to run to meet Ms Cetera — and unless you three want to be late, you’d better get moving too!

_ She flees with the jingle of keys and slam of the front door. The trio exchange looks; Danny tries not to smirk too obviously. FADE TO: _

**EXT. STREETS OF AMITY PARK, CROSSROADS OF 13th ST AND FORTUNE WAY - MORNING**

_ Sam wheels her bike alongside Danny and Tucker. She and Tucker are worriedly interrogating Danny, who absently touches his own heart every so often. _

TUCKER   
Maybe it’s just temporary. Do you feel any different?

DANNY   
No, I really feel fine. Look, I probably just missed them - no one can catch waffles shot out of a FentonToaster every time.

SAM   
Yeah, but we all saw them go  _ through _ you, Danny. And don’t think we haven’t noticed you keep touching your heart -- what’s going on?

DANNY   
_ (caught)  _ It’s nothing, just… well, my heart feels, like… kind of cold?

_ Sam and Tucker exchange glances. Tucker immediately reaches for Danny’s chest, to his annoyance -- he waves a hand between them, blocking. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
NO, hey, I  _ promise _ I have a pulse. It doesn’t hurt or anything - just feels kinda weird. Different, but not bad.

TUCKER   
Yyyeah. So you’re going to tell your parents first thing when they get back, right?

DANNY   
_ (exasperated) _ Fine! If it makes you feel better then I’ll text them to ask them to come home early tonight, alright?

SAM   
_ (stern) And _ you’ll actually tell them what happened.

DANNY   
_ (hedging) If _ anything else happens, which I’m sure it won’t.

_ CUT TO: _

**INT. CASPER HIGH, HOMEROOM**

_ The trio enter the classroom, waiting for Lancer to mark their names off against his list. Danny is behind Sam and Tucker, which is why they don’t notice that Danny has entirely vanished from their vision. Lancer pauses when he steps up. _

LANCER   
No Mr. Fenton today?

SAM, TUCKER, AND DANNY   
Huh?

_ Danny goes to exchange confused looks with his friends, but they look right through him. _

SAM   
That’s weird -- he was right behind us.

TUCKER   
Maybe he went to the bathroom?

_ Confused, Danny raises a hand to touch their shoulders -- and realizes his hand is only semi-visible to him. He squeaks in alarm, which is covered by Lancer speaking to Sam and Tucker. _

LANCER   
Well, he should have checked in here first. He’s about to be --

_ Danny has been silently flailing, trying to get his arm to come back to visibility -- then realizing that  _ none _ of him is visible. He gasps, on the edge of panicking, squeezing his eyes shut. The bell rings, drawing everyone’s attention up, just as Danny manages to return to the visible spectrum. _

LANCER (cont’d)   
\-- late -- oh, how did you --? Well, I’ll forgive it this time, Mr. Fenton, but in the future please be sure you’re in class  _ before  _ the bell rings.

_ Startled, Danny checks himself over -- visible. He’s a bit frazzled as he looks up. Sam and Tucker’s expressions plainly say “wut.” _

DANNY   
Er. Yessir. Sorry, sir.

_ He slinks to sit down, bypassing Sam and Tucker. CUT TO: _

**INT. OMEN HALLWAY**

_ Danny’s shoulders are hitched up around his ears as he fiddles with his lock and mutters to himself. _

DANNY   
Okay, that was weird, but it doesn’t mean anything; everything is fine, nothing has changed. Just keep your head down and --

_ As he ducks his head to deposit a book in his locker, his Ghost Sense goes off for the first time: his shoulders prickle and his breath is visible as it emerges, as if it’s the dead of winter. Just a puff comes out before he pulls back with a gasp, stopping it. _

DANNY   
...what - ?

_ He leans experimentally into his locker again, and his breath reappears with another shudder. He jerks back in shock, stumbling backwards a few steps -- directly into Dash, who is unconcernedly chatting with some of his teammates. _

_ At Danny’s sudden appearance, Dash barely manages to right himself; Danny himself trips, automatically reaching out for support, and grabs at Dash. With his momentum, he manages to twirl them around and reverse their positions, and Dash is dropped heavily to the floor while Danny stands, horrified, above him. _

_ There’s a beat, then the entirety of the hallway bursts into mocking laughter. Danny’s eyes dart around, aghast, then meet with Dash’s -- who is  _ furious _. _

DANNY   
_ (squeakily) _ Dash -- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean --

DASH   
_ (getting to his feet, menacing and embarrassed)  _ I told you to stay outta my way, and what do you do?

DANNY   
I don’t know what happened, I was just --

DASH   
You  _ literally get in my way _ . Remember this is on  _ you _ , Fen- _ turd _ .

_ Dash grabs Danny and deftly tosses him into his open locker, already slamming it shut. He doesn’t notice that Danny’s trajectory doesn’t stop with the back of his locker, instead going  _ through _ it and landing him, splayed flat on his back, in the adjoining room: _

**INT. OMEN BATHROOM**

_The room is clean, technically, but so rusted and out of date it might as well not be. It is unfriendly; one of the lights keeps flickering, and what scrawled graffiti exists cuts off midway through, as if whoever did it had been yanked_ _away before they could finish. The wall-length mirror above the sinks is, weirdly, immaculate, but for the small crack in one corner._

_ Danny lays flat on the floor, eyes huge. He’s confused, yeah, but more than that he’s starting to really get freaked out. _

DANNY   
What  the  _ what _ .

_ Still on the floor, Danny examines his arms and body, patting them down -- everything seems to be accounted for. He looks back and forth between himself and the definitely-solid wall he just phased through, starting to pull himself up. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Okay, I would really like this weird stuff to quit happening now --  _ (the final puff of ghost sense leaves his lips) --  _ like that stuff, yeARGH!!

_ He jerks back from the mirror he’s just come into view of. Rather than the standard reflection, it shows Danny’s ghost-form: teal skin, black suit, floating white hair, and eerie neon-green eyes. Maybe worse, behind him is another figure: taller than Danny, dressed in sopping wet old-fashioned school clothes, SIDNEY POINDEXTER floats there with no regard for gravity. His eyes are entirely white. _

_ Danny shouts and whips around -- to find no one. When he turns back to the mirror, his reflection is back to normal: black-haired and human, if quite frightened-looking. Danny pants there for a moment, the bathroom suddenly seeming large and shadowy. CUT TO: _

**INT. OMEN HALLWAY**

_ Tucker and Sam try to get into Danny’s locker, distressed and starting to get pissed at one another, as Danny himself opens the door to the Omen bathroom. _

TUCKER   
Yeah, because this is definitely going to work --

SAM   
_ (trying to bodily break into the locker)  _ Well, unless you secretly know his combination --

_ They simultaneously realize Danny’s standing next to them. They yelp in surprise, which startles Danny. All three look at each other, wide-eyed. Sam recovers first. _

SAM   
How did you - ? Danny, are you okay? You almost look like you’ve seen a --

DANNY   
_ (sudden and desperate) Don’t _ say it.

_ The bell rings. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Look, let’s just go. I’ll tell you in class.

_ FADE TO: _

**INT. BIOLOGY CLASSROOM**

_ Falluca drones on about proper lab safety as he passes out various equipment. The trio put on the goggles as they are passed around; Sam and Tucker listen in respective worry and disbelief as Danny whispers to them, trying not to get caught talking in class. _

TUCKER   
So what you’re saying is the school  _ is _ haunted.

SAM   
And that  _ you’re  _ the ghost?

DANNY   
I’m  _ saying _ whatever’s going on is definitely freaky, and maybe not even related to me - maybe it’s that kid I saw in the mirror, somehow doing all this ghost stuff.

_ They fall silent as Falluca walks by, hurriedly scribbling on their handouts. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
But the weirdest part was he somehow made my reflection look different too — like, he made my hair look white, and my skin  _ green _ . Isn’t that wild?

_ He chuckles nervously, then looks up when they don’t respond. Tucker’s mouth is open; Sam clenches her pencil so tight it snaps. Danny loses his hesitant smile. _

TUCKER   
With black clothes, like your jumpsuit?

SAM   
Almost like an inverted photograph? Except for —

DANNY, SAM, AND TUCKER   
_ (together, freaking out)  _ \- the glowing green eyes?

FALLUCA (off-screen)   
Mr. Fenton and friends!

_ Despite their mutual horror and confusion, the trio wince. Falluca glares; the rest of the class giggles. _

FALLUCA   
If you have so much to talk about, certainly you wouldn’t mind telling the class about the items currently held up at your table?

_ A large rack of various test tubes sits at their table, waiting to be passed along. Sam and Tucker automatically look to Danny, who squeaks. _

DANNY   
Er - um, that is - well they’re clearly test tubes —

FALLUCA   
_ (sighing loudly)  _ Clearly. Well, pass them on, Mr. Fenton. These glass containers will be used in all variety of labs this coming year. Given their size and material, they require the most delicate touch —

_ Danny, embarrassed, immediately leaps to grab and pass the rack of glass to the next table. However, his nerves act up - while the rest of the class takes notes on Falluca’s diatribe, Sam and Tucker get a clear view of Danny’s arms vanishing, and the set of glass test tubes going right through them. The trio has just enough time to brace themselves as the glass hits the floor with a mighty and protracted crash, leaving Danny standing there in the wreckage, his arms apparently behind his back. He stutters as if he can explain - and droops miserably when he realizes he cannot. FADE TO: _

**EXT. JAZZ’S CAR/FENTONWORKS - AFTERNOON**

_ Danny sits buckled in the passenger seat, his expression one of confusion and misery. Jazz has spent the whole car ride berating him; he barely notices, caught up in his own thoughts. _

JAZZ   
I understand it was an accident, Danny, but  _ detention _ ? If you want to do well, you can’t afford these kinds of mistakes!

_ Danny grunts, still distracted. Jazz rolls her eyes. _

JAZZ (cont’d)   
And I still don’t understand why we had to bring these two with us.

_ Sam and Tucker poke their heads around from the backseat, getting Danny’s attention. _

TUCKER   
Sorry, Jazz. We just want to make sure that  _ (meaningfully)  _ he tells his parents  _ everything _ , that’s all.

DANNY  
 _(protesting)_ Guys, I already said I would.

TUCKER   
And it’s not that we don’t trust you to do that —

SAM   
No, we definitely don’t trust you to do that.

TUCKER   
_ Sam _ !

_ They pull up outside FentonWorks. Danny grimaces when he sees the place, sinking down in his seat, but he eventually sighs and gets out, slamming the door behind him. _

SAM   
What? Danny always tries to downplay this kind of stuff - or don’t you know your ‘best friend’ well enough to know what he’d do?

TUCKER  
 _I’m_ trying to give my _best friend_ the benefit of the doubt, not that you’d know anything about what Danny really needs —

_ Sam and Tucker devolve further as they all walk up the stoop, Jazz in the lead with the keys. She unlocks the door. _

**EXT. FENTONWORKS FOYER**

JAZZ   
_ (confused)  _ Is this still about your detention?

DANNY   
Even I don’t kno - oh…!

_ Danny’s ghost sense cuts him off. As he looks up, he goes stiff - right there, hovering over the camping gear Jack and Maddie packed yesterday, floats an ectopus: green, many-tentacled, with eyes of pure magenta. It is semi-translucent, and though it turns at their entrance, it seems fairly placid. _

_ Danny gapes; Jazz doesn’t react, dropping her keys on the cadenza. Jack and Maddie themselves are nowhere to be seen, though their muffled voices come from downstairs.  _

JAZZ   
Looks like Mom and Dad came home early - and got right back to the lab, too.  _ (rolling her eyes)  _ If you can tear them away from their “science,” let them know I’m studying and do not wish to be disturbed.

_ She exits primly while Danny stutters, his eyes not leaving the ectopus. Sam and Tucker, still arguing, shut the front door behind them - they also do not seem to see the ghost. _

SAM   
— don’t even  _ listen  _ to him —

TUCKER   
—  _ you  _ can’t even see past your own hangups —!

DANNY   
_ (shaky whisper) _ Guys?

_ He points weakly at the ectopus, then yelps when it approaches. Sam and Tucker are too wrapped up in their argument to hear Danny, and don’t see the ectopus even when it floats directly in between them, nor when it places a tentacle on each of them. _

SAM   
_ You’re  _ the one who can’t even stay focused on the real issues —

TUCKER   
I’m trying, but  _ you  _ keep getting us off-track!

DANNY   
_ (finally finding his voice)  _ Guys!!

SAM AND TUCKER   
What?!

_ Danny points at the ectopus. Sam and Tucker look - and see nothing. At least until the ghost seems to breathe in, and its form becomes suddenly opaque - and much more menacing. _

_ Sam and Tucker gasp, automatically jerking away - it reaches for them, but its tentacles go through them. _

DANNY   
Did you guys seriously  _ just  _ notice the flying green octopus?!

TUCKER   
What are you talking about?! That thing just appeared out of  _ nowhere _ !

SAM   
You mean you could see it before we could?

DANNY   
Yes!! It was  _ right there _ , how could you not - ?

_ The ectopus darts at them, screaming terribly. The trio all shout and dive away. _

**INT. KITCHEN & BREAKFAST NOOK**

_ The trio hide underneath the table, holding their breaths. The ectopus floats above, searching. _

TUCKER   
_ (whispering)  _ What does it want?

DANNY   
_ (also whispering)  _ My parents say that ghosts feed off of emotions?

SAM   
_ (whispered)  _ But ghosts aren’t real. It has to be something else —

TUCKER   
_ (whispered, disbelieving)  _ Sam, are you really choosing  _ now  _ to be the skeptic?

SAM   
_ (whispered, irritated)  _ What would we even  _ do  _ against a ghost?!

DANNY   
_ (whispered)  _ Seriously, guys? You’re arguing  _ now _ ?

TUCKER   
_ (whispered)  _ Well  _ whatever  _ it is, if we don’t keep quiet it’s going to - find… us?

_ The trio simultaneously realize that a tentacle each rests on Sam and Tucker’s shoulders. As one, they look up into the malicious eyes of the ectopus; it shrieks and  _ grabs  _ Sam and Tucker, solid this time, and drags them out. Danny grabs their hands and tries to pull them back. _

DANNY   
Stop, stop! Don’t hurt them!

_ The ectopus screams again, yanking at Sam and Tucker, whose own screams are muffled by the tentacles around their mouths; Danny holds on, desperate. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Please, let them go! Just leave us alone!

_ The ectopus angrily slams Sam and Tucker together, who whimper in pain. Danny stiffens at this - these are his best friends, the two people who he trusts most in the world, and some ghost is trying to hurt them, to take them from him? He growls, losing some of his fear to the protective anger bubbling in his chest. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
I  _ said _ —

_ A white spark starts at his chest and blooms into a star, spreading like fire all over his body. Danny transforms, his ghostly aura bright, his toxic green eyes burning. His voice echoes. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
Let. Them. Go.

_ The ectopus roars. Sam and Tucker’s eyes are wide with shock as Danny pulls hard on their hands - and launches  _ himself  _ at the beast, which releases them to tussle with Danny. _

_ The two ghosts slam each other around the kitchen (destroying the FentonToaster in the process) as Sam helps Tucker up. The ectopus gets a hold on Danny’s torso and drives him down through the floor, shrieking, as Danny’s shouts turn to fright. _

TUCKER   
Was that really - ?

SAM   
We have to help him!

_ They exchange a tense look with each other, and then nod in agreement, taking off for the stairs. _

**INT. FENTONWORKS OFFICES**

_ Sam and Tucker arrive just as Danny stomps the last of the ectopus’s tentacles down another floor. His back is to them. Tucker throws an arm out to stop Sam’s momentum, an expression of warning on his face. Sam gulps. _

SAM   
_ (hesitant) _ Danny?

_ He looks over his shoulder at them - and though his eyes burn green with ectoplasm, the whites remain. He turns completely, a very human and familiar look on his face - he’s totally freaking out. _

DANNY   
So I’m totally freaking out?

_ Unspeakably relieved that, despite the ghostliness and palette swap, their friend seems to be the same, Sam and Tucker rush to envelop him in a hug. _

TUCKER   
Is it gone? Was that seriously a ghost?

SAM   
Did it hurt you? Is… the way you look hurting you?

DANNY   
I think I’m fine? It doesn’t hurt, it just feels cold, and kind of -  _ (laughs nervously)  _ weird? I think the ghost is downstairs now —

_ Suddenly, Jack shouts from downstairs. There’s a crash and a sharp cry from Maddie. _

DANNY (cont’d)   
\- with my parents!! No!

_ He dashes to the stairs, Sam and Tucker following. _

**INT. THE LAB**

_ They stop halfway down the staircase to stare. _

_ On the lab floor, Jack and Maddie stand across from each other, the ectopus trapped between them over a silver device. It shrieks terribly, its form wavering in the electric field produced by the machine. Jack looks grim and serious; Maddie’s goggles are down, her mouth in a snarl. The portal casts eerie green light over the scene. _

_ The ectopus is, somehow, dying. _

_ Danny pales terribly, his eyes on his parents. Sam and Tucker exchange looks, and as one pull their best best friend back. _

TUCKER   
Change back.

SAM   
_ Now,  _ Danny.

DANNY   
But - they -

SAM AND TUCKER   
_ (together)  _ Now!

_ Danny obeys, the spark starting at his chest once again and transforming him back to human. As soon as it’s done, he droops, exhausted. Sam and Tucker close ranks around him, shielding him from his parents with their bodies. _

_ The ectopus lets out one last scream, then dissolves entirely into ectoplasmic goop; the machine collects it with a quiet whir, and then dutifully beeps. _

_ Maddie and Jack are suddenly animate again, grinning hugely at each other. They approach the machine, Maddie already taking notes. _

JACK   
Wow, Mads, I can’t believe it! A real ghost in our lab - and the ectoconverter actually worked on it!

MADDIE   
We can’t rely on the converter to eliminate an ectosignature like that again - it probably only worked because it was so weak, barely apparitional. But Jack, did you see its eyes?

_ The Fenton parents continue to speak to each other in excitement and pay no notice to the trio on the stairs - who have vanished, already fleeing. CUT TO: _

**INT. REC ROOM**

_ Danny sits on the couch between his friends, ravenously devouring a sandwich and a large bag of chips. Tucker and Sam sit there, a bit shell shocked; when Danny finishes his food, Tucker wordlessly passes him his own untouched sandwich. _

DANNY   
Thanks. And not that I don’t agree with you guys, but why the sudden pivot to not telling my parents about the freaky-white-hair-ghost-powers thing?

_ Tucker takes off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose; Sam takes lead. _

SAM   
If that really was a ghost, then you’re nothing like the mindless thing that attacked us. Whatever is going on, whatever you can do, you’re not the same as the things your parents study. You’re a  _ person _ .

TUCKER   
_ And  _ you’re not stuck all ghosty either - you can change back, you’ve got a heartbeat, you’re still breathing, still eating. Those are  _ human  _ things. Your parents aren’t experts on  _ humans _ .

_ Danny finishes off the second sandwich. Sam passes him a bunch of grapes that he eats between words. _

DANNY   
Oh, thanks.  _ (yawn)  _ But what if the weird stuff keeps happening? I can still feel the cold spot in my chest - I think I could still become…  _ ghostly _ if I wanted to.

_ Sam and Tucker exchange glances as Danny yawns again. Danny leans his head on Sam’s shoulder, then quickly picks it up - only to drop it right back down on Tucker’s. Sam hooks her arm with Danny’s, protective and fond. _

SAM   
Then we’ll figure it out. Together.

TUCKER   
Yeah, dude. With us on your side, everything’s gonna be fine.

_ Danny smiles at this and yawns again. Sam and Tucker grin at him, encouraging and genuine. _

DANNY   
Thanks, guys.

_ They’re not sure what the future holds, but Sam and Tucker will always be there for Danny. There’s a moment of calm, the trio leaning against each other on the couch, Danny starting to doze. _

_ Then Danny’s eyes snap open as he starts to sink through the couch. _

DANNY   
Guys?!

SAM AND TUCKER   
_ (together)  _ We’ve got you!

_ They haul him back up and hold him, tense, til his lower half solidifies. The trio sigh in relief, exchange bemused glances, and finally start to laugh. FADE OUT. _

**TAG** **IMAGE**

Jazz, calm and diligent, wears enormous teal headphones while she studies, “Lo-Fi Chill Beats”-style. Behind her, an ectopus has a panicking Danny wrapped up while Sam and Tucker clearly scream and try to help. Jazz is blissfully unaware.

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: strained sibling relationship; the pressure of being compared to your family; minor parental neglect; physical bullying and name-calling; the Accident; thinking you’ve just watched your friend die; power malfunctions and ongoing freakout; temporarily seeing threats other people cannot; canon-typical ghost attack; a ghost basically “dies” by jack and maddie’s hands.
> 
> 1\. this is a few months old and i figured i’d share, bc why not! i haven’t written a script in a million years but this was so fun and easy?? i rec you (YES YOU!!) trying it too! plus it’s good practice if you kinda want to work in television, haha  
> 2\. so if you read this out loud /quickly/, it takes about 24 minutes — that’s a little too long for a proper 22min cartoon ep, but wth, i am here for FUN and didn’t feel like cutting anything lmao  
> 3\. i’d like to fix up sam n tuck’s first convo so it’s more ironic, i.e. they discuss superhero things that danny ends up doing. i actually had the most trouble w sam n tuck; if i rewrote this, i’d try to make their dialogue more specific to each of them. but all told i’m pretty pleased w them being somewhat-but-not-too-different from canon :)  
> 4\. i do think dash could be a fun character. in my notes we learn more about him in the second and third arcs of the show, but for now i hope it’s clear that whatever he does, he’s got other stuff on his mind.  
> 5\. i wanted sidney to have an actual Place, not just one mirror. the Omen bathroom becomes an important space through arcs one and two, and sidney ends up as my FAVORITE character. it just seems like he’d be such a great go-between for danny and the GZ, i wanted him to get a little more use than canon! plus i just rly like him ;-;  
> 6\. i have the WHOLE SERIES planned out for this, but imo it’s way more fun to plan things out than actually write them, so the chances of you all seeing more of this are pretty slim. that said, i do have part of the next ep written out, and who knows what the future might hold, so if you’re interested in more u can subscribe to the DPN series on here and find me on tumblr at cartoonsaint :)
> 
> i hope this story finds you well. til next time!


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